Published privately, 76 pages. Large A4 size booklet (N7713)
Littleport is a village in Cambridgeshire and lies a few miles north-east of Ely, and this booklet records the men from the village who fought and died in the First World War. The entries vary in length and are accompanied by photographs (where possible) of the men and their gravestones (or place on memorials). A couple of entries are detailed below to provide an idea of what information is included:
HERBERT HAWKINS, Rank: Private, Service No: 17886, was born on the 29th July 1895, the son of John William and Mary Elizabeth Hawkins and brother of Florence. In the 1911 census he is employed as a farm labourer and living with his grandparents at Ponts Hill, Littleport. Enlisting at Ely into the Suffolk Regiment, he was serving with the 8th Battalion when he was killed in action, on the Somme, on Saturday, 17th. February 1917. He was 21 years old. His body was never recovered from the battlefield and he is commemorated, by name, on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France, on the Pier and Faces 1C and 2A.
JOHN WILLIAM SCOTTING, Rank: Private, Service No: 51271, was born on the 23rd December 1880 and at the time of the 1881 Census was shown as being 3 months old. He was the son of Charles and Elizabeth Scotting of Wellington Street, Littleport. There was also an elder sister, Alice F. and an older brother Charles F. His father was a Farm Labourer and John William was baptised at St. George's Church, Littleport on the 30th April 1882. On the 3rd January 1909 he married Bessie Lillian Douch at Christ's Church, Doncaster and was residing at 41 Thomas Street, Doncaster, his occupation at that time was recorded as a 'Drayman.' In the 1911 census he is living with the Fitzgerald family and his wife Bessie and son John Wilmot Scotting, at 4 Castle Avenue, Conisborough, Yorkshire, and he is employed as a coal sack filler. It is thought that he and his family emigrated to Canada between 1911 and 1914 and, it is possible that Bessie died during that time, as on his Attestation Form into the Canadian Infantry he states that he is single, and he gives his next of kin as his father, Charles Scotting of Mowfen Farm, Littleport.
He enlisted into Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry at Montreal on the 5th November 1914. At that time he stated he was "30 years of age", his occupation was a "Miner" and he had had "12 years Military Service in the Canadian Forces." On the 3rd December 1914 he was promoted to Acting Lance Corporal, then in January 1915 he was reverted to Private upon his imminent posting "overseas." He transferred to the 1st Regiment of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Eastern Ontario Regiment) and on the 23rd February 1915 he crossed from Southampton to France. Whilst serving on the Western Front he was found to be missing in action on the 8th May 1915 then, on the 26th May he was placed on Casualty List No. 91 and on the 27th May he was officially recorded as "missing." On the 5th June 1915 he was "struck off the strength of his Unit" and on the 15th October 1915 his Officer Commanding reported that he had previously been reported as "missing" and should now be recorded as "missing, believed killed."
On the 27th April 1916 he was recorded as "previously reported as missing in the field, now, for official purposes presumed to have died in the field on the 8th May 1915." His body was never found and he is recorded, by name on the Menin Gate Memorial, leper, Belgium on Panel 10. His medals and his Memorial Cross were dispatched to his father at The Moors, City Road, Littleport, from Canada on the 20th May 1920.
Condition of the booklet is generally very good. The covers have one or two minor scuff, but the staple spine is intact and all pages are clean, intact, unblemished and tightly bound.